He holds up his phone. “You’re on sports news.”
I frown at his phone, confused. “What?”
It’s a split image on the screen. The left half is a photo of me taking a swing at Logan in the middle of our tunnel brawl a week ago. Which isn’t surprising. That video of our fight and my suspension has been all over sports news this past week because fights don’t happen in college hockey.
What’s surprising is the photo next to it.
It’s me…shirtless…from my secret account.
Chapter 53
Blake
My stomach drops to my feet.
“What the fuck,” I mutter.
“Is that you?” Leo asks.
I don’t answer him. I can’t. I’m frozen as my nerves go haywire. Panic washes over me like a tidal wave.
No way. This can’t be happening…
I walk past him and run down the stairs. I flip on our TV and switch to the main sports network that we always watch.
There it is.
My secret social media account has just been exposed on TV. And online too, probably.
“I…I don’t…” I start to feel dizzy. I see my username @ThatShirtlessGuy plastered all over the screen.
There’s a soft, warm touch on my arm. I glance to the side and see Briar next to me.
She turns to the TV. “Oh my god…” Her voice is soft with shock.
Behind me, I hear footsteps. Leo walks up to us and looks at the TV screen.
“One of the guys on the team texted me the link to the news story,” Leo says. “When I clicked it, I thought it was a joke at first. I didn’t think it was real.”
Acid churns in my stomach as my brain processes everything that’s happening in this moment.
Someone found out my secret Instagram account, figured out it was me, and somehow it ended up on the news.
I grip the back of the couch, feeling sick all of a sudden.
“So that’s really you?” Leo asks, glancing between me, his phone screen, and the TV screen.
I look at him, anxiety slicing through me. He’s my teammate, my roommate, my friend. What’s he going to think when he finds out what I’ve been secretly doing all these months?
Part of me wants to hide this, like I have been…but I can’t. I can’t look at Leo and lie to his face.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
I brace myself for his reaction. For him to laugh or act grossed out or pissed off. But he just looks at me. His brow lifts slightly, like he’s surprised. But that’s it. There’s no judgment in his expression.
“It’s a secret account I’ve had for a while. Almost a year,” I say. “No one knew about it. Except Briar.”
Leo shrugs. “Okay.”
